Colorado Chow Chow, Hotdogs and Carolina Style Pulled Pork

Why am I like a hundred years old and have never heard of or tasted Chow Chow until this summer?

Wikipedia tells us that Chow Chow is popular in the south, in Pennsylvania and New Mexico. Even my good friend Cauleen, who grew up in Pennsylvania, looked at me like I was from outer space, when she learned I had never had it. Especially since the area around my hometown where I grew up supports large Amish and Mennonite communities. Nope, never heard of it.

I was thrilled to find Colorado Chow Chow. That is Chow Chow made right here in Colorado by my favorite local canning vendor. Sold at the Highlands Ranch Farmer’s Market, I grabbed a couple of jars, one regular and one hot. We’ve tried both and think they’re absolutely delicious. We’ll be buying a few jars to get us through an otherwise Chow Chow-less Winter.

Just as Chris suggested, we piled some on top of hot dogs. Oh-my delicious!

I threw a pork roast in the crock pot and let is simmer all day in some Carolina style sauce, topped it with some Chow Chow and it was out of this world.

Let’s talk about Carolina style sauces. We recently had Carolina style pulled pork at a local BBQ joint and really found this vinegar-based sauce to be a wonderful mixture of flavors.

In Googling Carolina Style Sauces so I could make it at home, I found Northern Carolina, Eastern Carolina, Northeastern Carolina, Western Carolina sauce recipes. I didn’t take the time to sift through the ingredients to find out what the difference was in all the variations and just chose a generic crock pot version and tweaked it to accommodate the ingredients I had on hand. My Southern readers will have to fill me in on the difference in what these regionalized Carolina sauces are all about.

Unwrap the roast. I lined my crock pot with banana leaves, and rough cut onions to make a nice flavorful bed. Place roast on top of onions, drizzle most of the vinegar mix over the top, reserving some to add to the shredded meat at the end. Wrap banana leaves around the roast.

Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or high for 4 to 5 hours.

Remove the meat and onions to a cutting board. Remove skin and set aside. Using two forks, pull and shred the pork. Chop the onions, and mix into the shredded meat. Using a fork, remove some of the fat from under the skin, mince, and add to the shredded meat and onions as needed for moisture and flavor.

Serve on warm buns or crusty hard rolls, with the remaining vinegar mixture on the side.

Comments

YUM!! I love chow-chow…always on hotdogs 🙂 I’m totally craving a pork sammie w/ some now, though…it is glorious! Lovin’ the banana leaf lined pot…it’s a total nod to Puerco Pibil (which I’ve totally been craving for the last 2 or 3 months, but just haven’t gotten around to making!). Awesome post.

Let me assure you, you were not alone in just recently discovering chow-chow. Just last year, while in North Georgia, I suddenly paid attention the jaws of chow-chow. Like you, I loved it. I have been wanting to make it myself but, have yet to embark on the challenge.

That sandwich looks fantastic, Lea Ann. A woman at the market makes pickled stuff so I’ll stop by tomorrow to see if she has chow chow. And that pork roast looks out of this world. Lining the crock pot with banana leaves is interesting and I have to try it.

It’s hard to walk into a farm store or even a goumet place around here and not find chow-chow for sale. I’ve tried it several times, but just can’t get my tastebuds around it – I think it’s the sweetness, I’m a dill kinda guy, but glad you got to try it and enjoyed it. Many around here put it on soup beans – usually pintos in this area.

Larry, our markets just don’t have it. Just the one vendor at the Farmer’s Market. Yes, it is sweet in a tangy sort of way. Hmmm… I’m going to email you. Need to find out more about the pinto bean “thing”

Interesting, here is the Chow Chow you mentioned. I am sure we would love it as well. Have to make a run to my “pork farmer”. I am out of sausages, may he also has a nice roast for me.
Wednesday sounds fine.

I’m like a hundred years old and I have never heard of chow chow either! LOL! I’ll keep my eyes peeled for it. Also the pulled pork recipe looks so good! I’ve never thought of putting a banana leaf directly into the pot to cook the pork, I will have to try that method, I love the flavor banana leaves impart.

I don’t know much about chow chow, but there is a big dispute about whose BBQ is best in the Carolinas. Eastern Carolina BBQ is vinegar based and western Carolina is tomato based. South Carolina favors mustard, which sounds horrible to me. You can get into quite a debate if you bring up who’s BBQ is best here in North Carolina.

The chow chow looks perfect for the pulled pork sandwich. And you went to the expert if you relied on Chris. He knows his stuff.
Sam